Autoblog

Say "Italian-styled Cadillac" and any car person will shoot back "Allante." It does appear, though, that Zagato executed coachwork on top of a fourth-generation Eldorado before Cadillac ever thought of shipping its wares to and from Pininfarina. This Eldo looks a lot like a Ferrari, and there's a reason for that, according to the seller. The bodywork on this car was reportedly designed by Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari racer and the first Ferrari agent in the United States. Chinetti went on to found the North American Racing Team, also an official Ferrari venture, and that might explain why this car has NART prominently displayed on its nose.

The NART badging is the only thing this custom Caddy shares with the Ferraris under Mr. Chinetti's umbrella, though. The success of his Prancing Horse franchise is likely why this prototype, which was displayed at the Turin and New York auto shows in 1971, never went anywhere. Currently, the car is in Brussels Belgium, and potential buyers are invited to make offers. If the provenance holds up, we doubt it'll be a small selling price. At least you'll get 1970's Italian style with the inexpensive upkeep of 1970's American running gear.


[Source: Hemmings]

Only days before heading to bankruptcy court, Italian engineering firm and carrozzeria Bertone revealed that it was about to pull a last-minute trick out of its sleeve in an announcement later that day. But when the announcement didn't come, the industry was left wondering if, after 95 years in business, Bertone was about to slip away.

The company's chairwoman and family scion Lili Bertone, however, announced last night that her company would be sold to Gruppo Prototipo chief Domenico Reviglio. Likewise based in Turin, Gruppo Prototipo focuses on testing pre-production vehicle prototypes. It owns the famous Nardo high-speed test facility, and since the late '90s has been the sub-contractor for most of the Fiat Group's testing requirements.

The announcement came as a surprise to the Italian business community, which widely believed negotiations with business mogul Gianmario Rossignolo were near conclusion. Previous negotiations with Fiat had fallen through, and Bertone has a workforce of 1,300 to support despite the lack of contracts to sustain the company. The Italian government, meanwhile, has opted to extend the two-year financial protection it had granted Bertone for an additional two months.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

For those customers who appreciate fine craftsmanship, opening the trunk of their new six-figure Italian GT can provide nearly as much excitement as the car itself. Okay, maybe not that much, but the custom fitted luggage found in the boot of The Boot's most exquisite touring cars has an appeal all its own. Ferrari has been at it for years with Schedoni leathercrafters, but with Maserati coming into its own, the Trident marque needed to offer its customers something special to put in the trunk. So they hitched up with one of the biggest names in the Italian fashion industry: Salvatore Ferragamo, a company best known for providing Hollywood with their red-carpet footwear.

The partnership was initially announced with the launch of the GranTurismo at the Geneva auto show - you'll forgive us if we missed it, we were a little preoccupied with the car itself. In any event, the joint venture between the two stoic Italian crafthouses just launched a new website highlighting the range of custom fitted leather luggage.

Follow the link for more information or the jump for the press release.

[Source: Salvatore Ferragamo via Italiaspeed]

In an effort to further GM's plan of becoming one of the dominant automakers offering diesel-powered vehicles, the company announced plans to purchase a 50-percent stake in VM Motori S.p.A., an Italian diesel engine manufacturer owned by Penske.

The deal comes hot on the heels of Bob Lutz's comments last week about the expansion of GM's diesel lineup, allowing the company to grow its oil-burning offerings in expanding markets in China and India, while gaining a stronger foothold on the diesel market in Europe.

Look for the ink to dry sometime later this year.

GM's press release is posted after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

Did you think the Castagna Aznom was an odd little duckling? Then you've clearly forgotten about the Codatronca, the likewise Corvette-based Italian coachbuilt limited-edition supercar, initial details of which we brought you several months ago. SpadaConcept, the Italian design studio that cooked up the concept, has now released more details on the distinctive tailfinned sportscar.

For all you technophiles out there, we've got all the dimensions and specifications. Based on the Corvette C6, the Spada Codatronca places the engine in a front-mid layout, driving through the rear wheels. Starting with the aluminum LS7 7-liter OHV V8, Spada fits twin Rotrex superchargers, dual intercoolers, an eight-quart dry-sump lubrication system, titanium valves and connecting rods, sequential fuel injection and a boosted compression ratio of 11:1. All that nets an impressive 600 hp at 6,300 rpm and 790 Nm of torque at 4,600. The power is channeled through the rear wheels via a short-throw 6-speed manual.

(Details continue to astonish after the jump.)

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Ferrari's newly-minted record isn't in jeopardy, but we bet the driver of the lone Ferrari was kicking pebbles while hanging out with the dude who brought the SLR. Okay, probably not. Pagani's frontal assault on the supercar world, powered by an AMG V12 must have made for some sweet sounds and beautiful sights as 13 of them rolled from Milan through Como Lake to Monte Carlo for the Third International Pagani Gathering. The three-day tour just wrapped up on June 10th, so some owners are likely still en route home.

We're going to put a Zonda on the Autoblog budget request for next year and see if it'll come through for us. Supercar culture is valuable research, so maybe it'd even be tax deductible, since we'd be using it for work. Some of the most exclusive Italian exotics on the market, Paganis are mesmerizing when there's just one. Thirteen in a row must have been cause to stand and stare for as long as you could, before they disappeared at the horizon's convergence point. The website Swiss Car Sightings has put together a gallery of 100-plus pieces of eye candy, so without further ado, Andiamo!

The Italian Post Office is honoring one of the country's most well-known brands, Lamborghini, by offering a commemorative stamp in its honor.

The 85-euro-cent stamp will hit post offices first in Lamborghini's hometown, Sant'Agata Bolognese, before it is offered at offices throughout the country. The campaign is part of Italy's recent efforts to pay homage to the country's greatest moments and products.

The stamp features Lamborghini's golden bull against a black shield background, which looks very similar to the badge affixed to the much-celebrated Lamborghini Miura, built between 1966 and 1973. Any tribute to that masterpiece would surely find a spot in our stamp collection -- if we had one.

[Source: Italy magazine via German Car Blog]

In most countries, acts like murder, treason, or plotting to overthrow the government rank among the most heinous crimes a person can commit. In Italy, stealing secrets from Ferrari ranks right up near the top of the list, too.

Following a long, drawn out process, two former Scuderia Ferrari engineers, who stood accused of stealing secrets from Maranello and giving them to rivals at Toyota F1, have been convicted. Pending appeal, Angelo Santini was sentenced to nine months and Mauro Iacconi to 16 behind bars on charges of industrial espionage.

Back at the start of the 2003 season, Toyota built a wind-tunnel down the road from Ferrari in Sant'Agata Bolognese, near the Lamborghini factory. Naturally the project recruited the talents of many former Ferrari engineers, but when the season kicked off, Toyota's car looked suspiciously like Ferrari's. Complaints were filed in Italy and in Germany, and the case against Santini and Iacconi went to court a year ago. Toyota's former team principal, chief designer and chief aerodynamicist were all charged in Germany, where the case against them is pending prosecution.

It seems that Toyota will stop at nothing to catch up to Ferrari, and when hiring a Schumacher didn't work, less legal means were employed.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Ford's presence at the L.A. Auto Show can be summed up in one word: Giugiaro. Unfortunately, the new Escape, the product Ford will actually be selling, has been drowned out by the buzz surrounding the Giugiaro Mustang. Our man Frank Filipponio calls it a Spaghetti Western on wheels, which sounds right to us considering the genuine horse hides covering the seats. Apparently Giugiaro's Italian designers took the Mustang name very literally.

Though we had seen the press shots a few nights ago and checked the car out in person at a media event last night, Ford still went through the motions this morning and "debuted" the Giugiaro Mustang at the L.A. Auto Show by pulling back the shroud. Despite the overexposure, the G-Stang still manages to engage us every time we walk by it. Perhaps that's because we're split over whether or not we like it. The back end has been praised by most of the Autoblog team, especially the rear fenders, though the taillights are polarizing. The scissor doors have been laughed at and the full glass roof is just too out there to take seriously. The front end, however, is where the real debate's happening, since many believe this Mustang is wearing design cues we'll see in the next Blue Oval pony car. Is it too Camaro-like? Again, we're split. The fact remains this concept is garnering an inordinate amount of attention for Ford considering the only other vehicle it bothered to bring was a new SUV.

Check out a big gallery of live shots from today's press conference as well as the media event at which Ford debuted the Giugiaro Mustang last night.

Accomplished race driver, living legend and patriarch of a veritable racing dynasty Mario Andretti is being honored by the Italian government with the title of Commendatore della Repubblica Italiana. The prestigious award will be presented on October 23 by Consul-General Antonio Bandini at the New York Columbus Citizens Foundation.

To say Mario is an accomplished driver is like saying the Pope is Catholic. Andretti has won the Formula 1 driver's world title, the Indy Car championship (four times), the USAC national dirt track championship, the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and the 12 Hours of Sebring (three times), to name a few. To top that he's been named Driver of the Year spanning three decades, not to mention Driver of the Century.

His son Michael, head of Andretti-Green Racing, and grandson Michael Marco, IRL rookie of the year, will be there for the ceremony as well.

Word has it the Commendatore can't refuse a favor on this, the day of his decoration, so better get in line. Just kidding... felicitazioni, Mario!

[Source: Sports Car Market]